FLORENCE-Florence-Lauderdale Public Library is hosting a series on the War of 1812. There will also be an exhibit on display during the series. Below are the events in the series. The contact number for any of these events is 256-764-6564, ext. 27.
The War of 1812 in the South: Causes and Consequences
Dr. Tom Kanon
Sunday, March 8, 2015, 2:00 pm
Dr. Kanon will discuss the reasons why the War of 1812 was important to the early southern frontier by explaining the causes of the War as they related to the ‘Old Southwest’ and the impact the War had on the region. Topics covered will include the reputation of the militia in the War of 1812, the significance of the Natchez Trace, how the conflict affected Native Americans, and the magnitude of the Battle of New Orleans. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.
Dr. Kanon is an archivist at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. He holds a Ph.D. in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University. Kanon is the author of Tennesseans at War, 1812-1815: Andrew Jackson, the Creek War, and the Battle of New Orleans.
The Red Stick War
Dr. Kathryn Holland Braund
Sunday, March 22, 2015, 2:00 pm
From Fort Mims to Horseshoe Bend, Alabamians have marveled at the extraordinary battles of the Creek War for over two-hundred years. Yet the War’s origins are still misunderstood, as is the role of Tecumseh and the relationship of the Creek War to the War of 1812. This presentation will explore the origins of the conflict as well as provide an overview of the course of the War and its ultimate outcome and repercussions.
Kathryn H. Braund (Professor) was educated at Auburn University (MA, 1980) and Florida State University (PhD, 1986). Her research focuses on the ethnohistory of the Creek and Seminole Indians in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. She has published many works including her most recent release in August 2012, Tohopeka: Rethinking the Creek War. Dr. Braund is currently working on a book about the Creek War of 1813-1814 and a guidebook to the Old Federal Road in Alabama. She has served as the president of the Alabama Historical Association, the Bartram Trail Conference, and the Friends of Horseshoe Bend.
Living Memories
Andrew and Rachel Jackson impersonators, Dave McArdle and Melinda Gaines
Sunday, March 29, 2015, 2:00 pm
Through this presentation, the Jackson impersonators will help our participants feel they have visited with the Jacksons on a very personal level. McArdle and Gaines will also make historical connections between the Jacksons and Florence.
Dave McArdle is a native of Bronx, NY. After moving to Tennessee, he portrayed Andrew Jackson at The Hermitage (Jackson’s Nashville home) for seven years. He is a volunteer at Historic Rock Castle in Hendersonville, TN. Melinda Gaines is on the Board of Directors of Historic Rock Castle and chairs their Collections Committee. Dave and Melinda often work special events at The Hermitage and have appeared as the Jacksons in movies and documentaries.
John Coffee: General and Surveyor
Myers E. Brown II
Thursday, April 9, 6:00 pm
In this presentation, Mr. Brown will discuss John Coffee, his role in the War of 1812, and his
local ties to Florence.
Myers Brown is an archivist for the Tennessee State Library and Archives and holds a Master’s degree in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University. He has authored Tennessee’s Union Cavalrymen and Images of Tennessee’s Confederates. He is a fellow of the Company of Military Historians and is Chair of the Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.
From the Cumberland to the Gulf: Tennessee Troops Traversing the Alabama Country
James W. Parker
Sunday, April 12, 2:00 pm
During the War of 1812, Tennessee troops were involved in operations from the Cumberland River to the Gulf of Mexico. This presentation will explore the events that transpired in the Southeast during the years of the conflict. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.
James Wesley Parker is employed with the Alabama Historical Commission and holds a Master’s degree in American Studies from The University of Alabama. He has researched the 1812 era for more than 30 years and has held presentations across the state and the region. He was recommended by the National Archives as the primary presenter on researching 1812 sites for the national meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.
